Did you know that 48 hours of content is uploaded to YouTube every MINUTE?!? It’s hard to even conceive of… but it’s true and without question… heaps of the uploaded content contains music that could and should be earning royalties for plays on YouTube.

In an effort to begin to manage content on YouTube and start paying copyright holders royalties whenever music is included in a video that is played on YouTube, Google (the owner of YouTube) has purchased RightsFlow (a start-up that processes music royalties to help musicians, songwriters and music labels be compensated for their work).

RightsFlow has a music database of over 30 million songs and already processes licenses and royalty payments for thousands of publishers. Integrating the RightsFlow database and technology into YouTube’s content management systems promises to start paying $$ to musicians and music rights holders who have been uncompensated for the use of their music on the site. (Search for any popular band or song on YouTube and you will find an extensive mix of results that include recordings of copyrighted music).

Managing and protecting copyrighted content is an ongoing concern for YouTube. Currently, a copyright holder can request YouTube to remove a video posted to the site that includes copyrighted content that is being used without authorization. However, won’t it be even better… to be paid for the use of your music!

I heard one of YouTube’s Music Managers speak earlier this year and she mentioned a point that is KEY to getting paid royalty payments:

People (this means YOU)/musicians/record companies… who want their content monetized will have to say so. (ie.. you have to be PROACTIVE to receive royalties)